Motorcycles provided with a so-called manual transmission mechanism have been known for some time. A motorcycle of this type is described, for example, in Japanese Patent No. 07-034916, published on Feb. 3, 1995. Generally, a motorcycle of this type is provided with an accelerator grip on the right side of a handle, a front brake lever on the right side of the handle, a clutch lever on the left side of the handle, a shift pedal disposed near a left side footstep, and a rear brake pedal disposed near a right side footstep. When a rider desires to shift gears, the rider grasps a clutch lever and operates the shift pedal by foot while manipulating an accelerator grip to change the gear ratio of the motorcycle transmission.
The motorcycle is usually provided with a side stand. When parking the motorcycle, the side stand is extended to prevent the motorcycle from tipping over. The sequence of parking steps typically include stopping the engine, carrying out a so-called “gear-in” state of the transmission, and extending the side stand. The use of the term “gear-in” means that the transmission is not brought into “neutral” but into a prescribed transmission gear ratio such as a first speed stage by meshing prescribed gears with one another and the clutch is engaged. Since the rear wheel of the motorcycle is difficult to rotate when the motorcycle is in the “gear-in” state, the side stand may be extended safely in a state in which longitudinal movement of the motorcycle is suppressed. Thus, motorcycles provided with a manual transmission mechanism can be stood on the side stand in a state where the longitudinal movement of the motorcycle is suppressed. Thus, the motorcycle has excellent parking convenience.
Motorcycles having a manual transmission mechanism and an added centrifugal clutch have become known more recently. A motorcycle of this type is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,056 B1. When the rotational speed of the engine of a motorcycle of this type is smaller than a prescribed rotation speed, the centrifugal clutch is automatically disengaged. Therefore, it is unnecessary to operate the clutch lever or the like during “start” and “stop” procedures. The operational burden on the motorcycle rider during a “start” or “stop” procedure is, therefore, reduced. In this case, however, even though the motorcycle is provided with the manual transmission mechanism, the “gear-in” state cannot be achieved during parking. Consequently, the motorcycle side stand cannot be extended after a “gear-in” state is achieved.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to reduce the operational burden on a rider of a motorcycle provided with a manual transmission mechanism and a centrifugal clutch so as to enhance parking convenience for the motorcycle rider.